Our Mission To design and implement innovative projects and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Mar 31, 2024 21 likes •162 views

Erna na Kr Kruge uger r (Direct rector); r); info@ nfo@mah mahlath thini. i.org rg Promoting ting collab laborativ ative, pro-poor poor agri ricul cultur tural al inn nnovation tion 2003 2003-20 2018 Our Mission To

SLIDE 1

Our Mission

To design and implement innovative projects and

programmes which promote collaborative, pro-poor agricultural innovation, working in partnership with

ther organizations and communities.
To work at the cutting edge of development

methodology and process integrating learning (training), research and implementation into new models and processes emphasizing synergy and integration.

Erna na Kr Kruge uger r (Direct rector); r); info@ nfo@mah mahlath thini. i.org rg Promoting ting collab laborativ ative, pro-poor poor agri ricul cultur tural al inn nnovation tion 2003 2003-20 2018

SLIDE 2

CSA PRINCIPLES

Minimize external inputs
Maximise internal diversity
Focus on soil health and natural soil building techniques
Take care of the environment
Use available water as efficiently as possible.
Work together, learn together and plan together
Local solutions and economies
Farmer driven development
Getting our hands dirty

SLIDE 3

Community based CCA

Conservation Agriculture 2013-2018- Maize Trust;
KZN, EC -550 farmer led CA trials
Smallholder CSA Decision support 2017-2020 – WRC;
15 Village based sites across KZN, Limpopo, EC (200

participants)

(S&WC, agroecology- gardening, CA-field cropping,

livestock and natural resource management)

Community CCA 2017-2019 – USAID (AWARD);
7 Villages in Lower Olifants’ Basin (150 participants)

SLIDE 4

RESILM-O: Resilience in the Limpopo Basin Program– Olifants’

Lower Olifants’ catchment Agricultural Support Initiative (AgriSI);2017-2019

SLIDE 5

1. GO KAONAFATṦA TAOLO YA MEETSE

GOOD WATER MANAGEMENT

Diversion ditches- to carry water to beds Mulching - Improved furrows and ridges- on contour, mulching, mixed cropping Greywater management and use;-ash, tower gardens, keyhole gardens, greywater bucket filter Dripkits Tunnels RWH storage tanks Small dams

3. GO KAONAFATṦA HLOKOMELO YA DIBJALWA

CROP MANAGEMENT

Mixed cropping- incl intercropping Pest control brews -Chilli -soap, onion- paraffin etc Planting of herbs -(mixed in veg beds eg coriander, parsley, Seed successions- planting a range of seed, across seasons for continuity, Seed saving Conservation Agriculture; minimal soil disturbance, soil cover ,crop diversity Planting to maximise shade – in afternoons

2. GO FOKOTṦA KGOGOLEGO YA MOBU

CONTROLLING SOIL MOVEMENT

Cut off drains – ditches across a contour at top of garden/slop Contours- measured with line level Stone lines/bunds- made on contour Strip cropping- Sand bags for erosion control-

5. HLOKOMELO YA DIMELA TṦA TLHAGO

TAKE CARE OF INDIGENOUS PLANTS

Small nurseries-propagation of fruit and indigenous crops and trees Planting- windbreaks, hedges, multi functional plants, inter cropping

4. GO NONTṦA MOBU

KEEP THE SOIL FERTILTY/HEALTHY

Dedicated paths and beds Soil fertility management- manure (incl improved manure), compost, green manures, legumes, liquid manure Bed design -trench beds, shallow trenches, eco-circles, banana circles/basins

MENWANA E MEHLANO/ FIVE FINGERS

Ditsela tše hlano tšeo di ka dirago gore temo e be maleba / kaone

SLIDE 6

Community level CCA_ CSA

7 Villages/ learning groups – Mametje 150 participants 9 Local facilitators

48% 51% 34% 10% 3% 3% 2% 2% 3% 3%

Individual experimentation; July 2018 (N=61)

Trench beds Mulching Mixed cropping Tunnel Stonelines Furrows and ridges diversion ditches manure seedling production for cont. seed saving

SLIDE 7

SLIDE 8

Garden monitoring

34% 21% 14% 76% 31% 93% 97% 38% 24% 21% 0% 21% 21% 93% 76% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120% CUT OFF DRAINS/DIVERSION DITCHES CONTOURS, LINE LEVELS STONE BUNDS TRENCH BEDS ECO CIRCLES MIXED CROPPING SEED AND SEEDLINGS MULCHING LIQUID MANURE NAT P&D CONTROL CA BUCKET FILTERS/ DRIP KITS TUNNEL RWH STORAGE EXPERIMENTATION

% Implementation of new ideas (N=29); September 2018

Eco –circles, mulching, mixed cropping

Farmer Experimentation No of participants (N=29) trench beds 21 tower gardens 4 banana basins 3 Eco-circles 5

SLIDE 9

Measurements

Sedawa Mametja Botshabelo Christina Tobejane Koko Maphori Lerato Lewele Mariam Malephe Date rainfall (mm) rainfall (mm) rainfall (mm) rainfall (mm) 21/12/2017 5 10 8 7 24/12/2017 1 4 3 4 30/12/2017 22 32 30 28 25/01/2018 1.5 3.5 3.8 5 28/01/2018 1.6 2.1 2 3 30/01/2018 1 1.5 1.8 1.4 24/02/2018 2 2.6 2.8 2.4 16/03/2018 28 51 30.2 10.2 21/03/2018 9 20.8 10.2 20.5 24/03/2018 20 32 28 9 01/04/2018 9 8 15 30 02/04/208 1.4 2 2 1.8 Total 101.5 169.5 136.8 122.3 Ave for each rainfall event 8.5 14.1 11.4 10.2

SLIDE 10

Best practice: Production in tunnels

SLIDE 11

Tunnel experiments

Trench bed with mixed cropping and mulching inside tunnel
Trench bed with mixed cropping and mulching outside tunnel
Furrows and ridges outside tunnel (control)

SLIDE 12

How productive is each practice?

Water Cost (R/m2) Yield Sales (Rands/ m2) Profit (R/m2) Trench inside tunnel 1100 R18,70 6 bundles/m2 R60 R41,30 Trench

utside

tunnel 2926 R48,80 4,2 bundles/m2 R42

R6,80

Furrows and ridges 3913 R130,40 2,4 bundles/m2 R24

R106,40

➢ Water productivity – how much crop is produced for the amount of water used?

➢ Trench in tunnel 10x more productive than furrows and ridges and 5 x more than trench outside tunnel ➢ Must have mulch and do deep watering. If not then result is similar to furrows and ridges…

➢ Cost- benefit (R35/210l)

➢ Profit of R31/m of trench bed ( in tunnel) ➢ ~R620/tunnel fully planted (15m2), for a season ➢ If water is free then~ R900

Farmers' method (Water applied) Name of famer water use (m3) Total weight (kg) WP (kg/m3) Christina Thobejane (Tunnel; trench beds, with mulch) 1,10 48,9 56,7 Christina Thobejane (Furrows and ridges with mulch) 3,91 24,5 5 Christina trench outside 2,93 14,7 11,3 Nora Mahlako (Tunnel; trench beds without mulch) 9,47 19,6 5

SLIDE 13

Chameleons

▪ Top: Chameleon in trench bed inside tunnel ▪ Bottom: furrows and ridges outside tunnel

➢ Measure the amount of water in the soil (20,40 and 60 cm deep) ➢ Tells you when and how much to irrigate

Christina Tobejane (Sedawa): Applying water until the chameleon changes colour (goes blue) seems to be a good idea as this saves her some water and means that she only has to irrigate once a week (every 7 days). She has thus now changed her irrigation practice of watering a little every morning and afternoon, to a deep watering every 5-7 days.

SLIDE 14

Herb and veg sales

Date Herbs No bundle s Price Amount Total 2018/08/17 Basil 2 R15,00 R30,00 Coriander 32 R14,00 R448,00 Flat leaf parsley 21 R9,50 R199,50 R677,50 2018/08/24 Coriander 20 R14,00 R280,00 Flat leaf parsley 20 R9,50 R190,00 Spinach 30 R10,00 R300,00 Onions 33 R10,00 R330,00 R1 100,00 2018/08/31 Coriander 30 R14,00 R420,00 Flat leaf parsley 15 R9,50 R142,50 Basil 4 R15,00 R60,00 Spinach 24 R10,00 R240,00 R862,50 2018/09/07 Coriander 10 R20,00 R200,00 Parsley flat leaf 10 R20,00 R200,00 Parsley curly leaf 2 R20,00 R40,00 Funnel 6 R20,00 R120,00 Cabbage 7 R20,00 R140,00 Basil 4 R20,00 R80,00 Beetroot 2 R15,00 R30,00 Tomatoes 13 R10,00 R130,00 Spinach 40 R18,00 R720,00 R1 660,00 2018/09/14 Coriander 10 R20,00 R200,00 Parsley flat-leaf 10 R20,00 R200,00 Parsley curly-leaf 20 R20,00 R400,00 Cabbage 4 R20,00 R80,00 Basil 4 R20,00 R80,00 Beetroot 20 R15,00 R300,00 spinach 27 R18,00 R486,00 Onions 25 R10,00 R250,00 Fennel 4 R20,00 R80,00 R2 076,00 Total sales R6 376,00

An average

R600/month for the 15+ participants; selling herbs and vegetables